The Modcasts keep humming right along and this one has to be my favorite yet – great discussion, good points/quotes, and all with the anticipation of Halo Anniversary mixed right in!

Thankfully we now have our hands on said title, but travel back in time with me as I hit the highs (and lows? 🙂 ) of Modcast Delta!

Appreciated Points:

Level “343 Guilty Spark”– The Jenkins recording was eerie, and “nailed the sense of tension”; I would have to agree. Watching the cinematic unfold gives you that sense of dread, and as the recording finishes you know something bad has happened there … and you’re in the same spot. Gasp!

CruelLEGACEY had a good point of how they (Bungie) let the restrictions of the system actually help them in the long run, i.e., all the fog that makes it feel threatening and vast hides the fact that you’re actually in a small space.

Level “Two Betrayals”– There were some good reflections on the Flood/Sentinels/Covenant all fighting each other, and how those set ups were not only great pieces of game play but haven’t really had an equal in the ten years since the game has been out. It’s a tough choice to make – do I shoot all the Flood? Should a try to pick them off in equal numbers?

Level “Keyes”– Everyone remembers pulling the chip out of Keyes’s head, and you can count me among that group.

Your relationship with Hunters in Halo CE can be summed up this way: “Hunter in wide open spaces = good. Hunters in narrow closed hallways = bad.”

Overloading the generators near the end of this level was a great moment – all the craziness happening around you. I had forgotten that exact spot so it was a good reminder.

Level “The Maw” – There was a good point brought out about how you’re the only one left; in the beginning you’ve got all the Marines with you and you’re trying to save them, but now a sense of “last man standing” sets in. I had never considered that before so it was something to look for in Halo CEA.

At this point, the Modcast could have added the subtitle “Ode to Foe Hammer” – everyone really liked her, and with good reason.

She’s always bringing good news, helping you out, and to see her go down was an emotional hit on this level – and not one you were expecting. Flight Captain Carol Rawley, you are remembered!

Rukizzel’s point about that same moment in the game was also dead on. In your first run-through you make it there in plenty of time, and then you’re inner-monolog goes something like this: “Wow, that was easier than I … Wha…??…Noooo!!!!”

GrimBrotherOne had a great point as well about the ending of the game – how it will feel different because you know what’s coming. You know the full scope of what the words, “I think we’re just getting started” mean.

Multiplayer was my first taste of Halo, the same as RK. Great memories of LAN parties bringing people together and I wouldn’t have been introduced to it any other way. Those associates are really what let me know this game was something special.

Indestructible vehicles– were they are a good thing or a bad thing? GBO wants feedback! He says Listen!

For my part, I don’t remember it being a big issue back in the day – but did it change the way I played or the enjoyment I got out of it? That’s harder to say. I think it was something I just accepted and didn’t worry about, much like how a blue ball inside a triangle made me invisible.

Still, having them destructible now gives me a feeling a power I think I would miss. I’ve always hated the guy in the banshee, but knowing my team can eventually take him out has given me hope many times that wouldn’t be there otherwise.

Original Halo multiplayer – while it’s the least polished of all the Halo games’ multiplayer, it’s one that both newbie and hard-core liked. See GrimBrotherOne’s excellent “Muscle Car/Lamborghini” illustration if you want to understand the concept of why it worked so well better.

As I’ve been playing Anniversary over Live, I appreciated the point that was brought up about the original maps compared to today – there’s nowhere to hide! This made it hard if you were the hunted, but when you were the hunter it was pure gold.

RK’s reasoning was not the way it played that made Halo 1’s multiplayer so great, it was the associations – everyone was in there having fun.

Odd Social Accountability = “Being a Decent Person” – Simply put, the on-line community has gotten harsher. With Halo CE being just you and some friends/friends of friends your interaction was self-policed. With the creation of Live (while a phenomenal development in general), some of that common respect has been lost.

GBO had a great point about playing on Live – more often than not the joy comes not from winning, but from making the other guy feel like crap. I have to admit I’ve fallen prey to this, and I’ve caught myself more after it was brought up in the Modcast.

While it’s easy to become jaded after another faceless player betrays you on purpose, I think it’s a rallying cry for comminutes like this one not only to exist but to carry on.

Waypoint and other locations provide that “odd social accountability” that we’ve lost; can I get an AMEN?

For the record, I think we may be onto something here – someone’s “odd social accountability” should rank right alongside their BPR … what do you think?

I would love have a setting on matchmaking that had “OSA >90” or something like that.

That would trump other settings for me – I don’t care if you talk a lot, but I do care what you say when you have a direct link to my ears.

Did you find the MC4 skull? – Make sure you stay tuned for the hidden skull at the end of the cast … the one and only takes off his helmet, and we see who’s been under there this whole time!

Quotes Worth Repeating

Modcast #4 was chocked full of good quotes, and here are a few of my favorites.

For those of you who haven’t heard them, go listen! For those of you have heard them, re-live the awesome in text form …

Just got to mix it up you know, keep it fresh.

I’m not fresh?

CruelLEGACEY calls into question Rukizzel’s freshness … or at least that’s how RK took it 🙂

I thought I discovered Firefight before there was Firefight

CL on “The Library” level; he thought it was a bonus round when he skipped the cut scene.

The best/ironic part is that what was a brutal slugfest for him at that moment is now one of my favorite playlists on Reach!

He’s a robot that’s just doing his job

CL’s takes up for 343 Guilty Spark, and rightly so. The bot’s just doin’ his job people!

When you run over your buddy’s dead corpse and you pick up all of his pistol ammo? That causes fights among friends

Rukizzel on how Halo covertly helps to strengthen your friendships … you get to practice forgiveness!

GrimBrother One. While I don’t know the situation (and I’m not sure I want to), it’s just as good if not better without context 🙂

There is like an eight foot bullwhip in there … does that count?

GBO’s reply to the men in blue who pulled him over. Turns out, it does count …

It ended up being one of the weirdest experiences that week.

GBO muses on the situation from the previous quote (emphasis mine)

What were you doing without me?

Actually staying on topic.

GrimBrother One asks, and CruelLEGACEY responds.

It’s a trap!

CL channels the perfect Admiral Akbar

Who squeezes whose … ?

RK on the Legendary ending on Halo CE. Hopefully this will be addressed in Anniversary, as we need to know for cannon’s sake – am I right Grim? AMEN!

I tried it out of pure curiosity with a mouse and keyboard and just pooped myself.

Grim decides to stick to the Xbox controller for Halo PC, for the above reasons.
For those of you keeping track, this is GBO’s second poop-related quote. And it’s awesome.

My greatest joy is derived from making some else angry, not from winning.

GBO makes a great point about multiplayer over Live, as opposed to someone being in the room with you back in the LAN-only days. While not always the case, I admittedly feel this way more often than I would like.

We’re going to put the crappiest game out there, I can’t wait!

Grim (sarcastically) giving voice to developers when they release a game. I agree 100% – they’re putting out the best product they can (given all kinds of restraints we don’t even think about), so give’em some slack

It’s the same 300 year old men that have been making it the entire time.

GBO on who makes Nintendo games. It’s true. Not only that, but they do it without using their hands … wrap your head around that one.

Or if you have trouble finding me, I’ll be the one black guy.

Rukizzel makes it easy to find him in line for Halo CE Anniversary. A leader in the community who makes himself easy to find? I’d call that considerate. Nice!